American Medical Association Successfully Rejects 'Medicare for All'
The American Medical Association narrowly defeated a measure on Tuesday that would have supported a “single-payer” government-run health care system.
The delegates for the group cast their votes at their annual conference in Chicago, the Washington Examiner reported.
Bob Doherty, senior vice president of governmental affairs and public policy for the American College of Physicians, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday that 53 percent of the delegates voted against the measure. But he emphasized how close the vote was.
Because a narrow majority, 53% of delegates, voted again the Medical Students resolution to eliminate opposition to single payer, the @AmerMedicalAssn will continue to oppose it. For noW But the delegates are clearly divided, nearly down the middle, on it. #AMAmtg
— Bob Doherty (@BobDohertyACP) June 11, 2019
“There is a lot more support for publicly financed coverage then ever before,” Doherty wrote.
“Nearly half of the delegates, 47%, voted to delete [the AMA’s] long-standing opposition to single payer.”
“Because a narrow majority, 53% of delegates, voted again the Medical Students resolution to eliminate opposition to single payer, [the AMA’s] will continue to oppose it,” he added.
The measure would have endorsed a bill known in Congress as the Medicare for All Act that would give health insurance to every American citizen.
It would, in short, eliminate private health insurance companies.
The plan was introduced in the Senate in April by Democratic presidential contenders Bernie Sanders and has the support of other Democratic presidential contenders in the 2020 election.
The Washington Examiner reported that about 40 liberal protesters disrupted the conference during the weekend by conducting a “die in.”
Additionally, 25 percent of physicians gave their support for the Affordable Care Act, better known as “Obamacare,” saying that it wasn’t “broken,” but it is “imperfect.”
Doherty wrote in his tweet that while the AMA will oppose the measure, it’s fairly clear to see that the “are clearly divided, nearly down the middle, on it.”
According to the Examiner, the AMA is one of the nation’s most powerful lobbying group with upwards to 200,000 members and is part of the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future group.
Because the group is made up of not only medical professionals but also insurance companies, the group typically votes against any government-run health care plan.
The government’s approach to health care is likely going to be a major issue in next year’s presidential race.
In April, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders slammed the Medicare for All Act, saying the plan was a “government takeover of healthcare… which confiscates every American’s private health insurance.”
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